Chargers Kicker Upset Teammates With Postgame Smiles

The San Diego Chargers are off to a 1-4 start this season, but one bright spot has been the kicking of second-year veteran Josh Lambo. He’s made 9-of-10 field goals and 17-of-18 extra points. Lambo lined up for a game-tying kick at the end of Sunday’s loss to the Raiders, but never got a chance to be the hero because of a botched snap. Then, after the game, he made the mistake of yukking it up with the enemy. Here are the horrid details via the San Diego Union-Tribune:

"As others were still fuming, as quarterback Philip Rivers knelt in the distance, the broadcast cut to Lambo giddily speaking with kicker Sebastian Janikowski. "

This moment of non-agony was so egregious that Lambo was talked to by both special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman and head coach Mike McCoy. And he had to contact some of his offended teammates.

"“Everybody on your team is looking at you and looking at everything you do at all times,” McCoy said. “When a teammate sees you in a situation like this and you get caught, laughing it up, people take it differently. Everybody is different. Some players will look at it and say, ‘It’s not a big deal.’ Other players, it pisses you off. You were involved in a critical play in the game, and it wasn’t executed properly, and we lost. Just understand what it means. “I think he’s handled it the right way, talking to his teammates, talking to different coaches on the staff, apologizing and what he’s learned from it.”"

Yes, hopefully he has learned his lesson. Football is a very serious sport where you must take losing with the utmost seriousness. Be angry and upset in public. Don’t act like a mature adult who has the ability to smile in the face of failure. Be more like Odell Beckham Jr. or Cam Newton.